So the first real war of the 21st century has begun. I don’t really know how to feel about it. I’m not for it, I don’t think that Saddam Husein is as big of a threat as the Americans seem to think he is. It’s very funny to listen to the American people re-iterate what was spoonfed to them down there. While we were in Vegas I had a few conversations with folks who were largely for the war, and thought that it was a great idea. Every time we talked though I brought up my Risk analogy, how they have troops in Bosnia, Afghanastan, Croatia, and they’ve got a fleet patrolling the Korean waters now too, not to mention their little army amassed in the Persian Gulf. When you thin your troops out that much, you end up losing some major ground.
I still think that China has committed greater crimes against humanity. I think that North Korea is a much larger threat. I think that the problems in the West Bank are way worse than those in Iraq. Hell, cut Iraq off totally (we don’t need the 2% of oil they supply North America that badly), and let Saddam’s regime starve itself out…you knew for the last 12 years that he was taking the money you were supplying his regime with to feed his people to instead arm his military…duh.
In the end though, even though I don’t think it’s the right decision, I’m impressed that a politician has actually DONE something. Something historic even (this is the first time in history that America has engaged in a pre-emptive strike on another country). Clinton’s administration was highlighted by a total lack of any forward momentum, sure he presided over the largest economic boom in modern history…but the same sort of boom happened when the industrial revolution happened (eventually this era will be known as the Information Revolution), but he didn’t do a damn thing. Much like our own illustrious leader Jean Chretian, who today has back-pedalled on his firm stance of yesterday saying that instead of us not supporting the Americans, we will support them by helping to secure the border, and will step up our efforts in Bosnia and Afghanastan. Yay Jean. Solid work old boy. You really stuck it to the Americans. What, did they threaten to take Survivor away from us?
Time will tell if Bush’s bold move was a good one, or a bad one. Let’s remember that Bush Sr. “liberated” Kuwait 12 years ago…and women still don’t have the right to vote in that beacon of democracy.